Rocket Chronicles, Book Four: Friend or Foe?
by Mikichu
Summary: James, Meowth and Jessie find that they cannot keep living the way they do if they remain in Team Rocket. They quit, and Giovanni, although they were his worst agents sends asassins after them. Our heroes must hide, or die. Rocketshippy? Oooooof course!:D
1. Chapter 1

Alright! Fourth book already! Anyway, here's a brief summary of what's happened in the previous books in case you forgot:

Possessed: Our "heroes" recieved a box that Giovanni gave them. Meowth breaks it by mistake and it possesses James, and he turns from the James we know and love to a cold-blooded killer with dark powers. He nearly kills Misty and Jessie flees with Meowth into the forest. She meets Ash and he invites her to stay with him, knowing something is wrong. A fire breaks out in the house, and almost all of them get out. Jessie rushes back into the house to rescue Meowth, who is left unharmed. James finds them and attacks, and Misty is once again a victim. Jessie runs again, but James is too fast. The internal or "normal" James makes the outer James let Jessie go, but the outer James catches up with them again. Jessie admits her love as soon as the internal James is about to die, and the overwhelming emotion he feels rids his body of the evil spirit. Thinking it is too late, he runs and plans on suicide, but Jessie is still alive. Possessed ends on this cliffie.

R.C., Book one: James is still running, and Jessie sets out to find him. James is discoveredby the twerps and they set out to follow him as well. After running through a cave, James goes to the tower in Lavender Town and plans to throw himself from the window. The twerps rescue him, and he sets out again to kill himself. The Black Beauty sisters and Jaja, along with her assistant, Takuto, catch him and knock him through the air. James blasts off, and the blow to the head causes him to get amnesia.

R.C., Book Two: Jessie runs behind a tree crying and fails to see that Jessibelle has taken James back to his home. For some reason, he is warmly welcomed by his parents. When he falls asleep, he dreams about an angel losing her wings and color because her heartbreak caused this. James wants to find that woman in his dream, and when he takes a walk with Jessibelle he owns her with an awakened power: a navy light that made Jessibelle fly through the air. He finds Jessie and starts to remember. When Jessie is attacked by Takuto, James comes to the rescue and his memory comes flooding back.

R.C., Book Three: After Jaja reveals to James who he really is, he runs back only to run into Sheshe and Mimi. Sheshe sings him the song he is supposed to have as his own, and Giovanni adds a new member to the team, an eleven-year-girl named Janet. It is discovered that Janet possesses special powers. Sheshe tells James that Jessie is the princess and hands him a locket and an ebony flute. Inside the locket he finds another song, that was a bit of a chant, and Meowth lets it slip that Jessie and James love eachother. A year passes. James has been hiding something from Jessie and he says they need to talk.

:::

James let Jessie into a nearby closet and made sure the door was closed.

Jessie bit back a sob, bracing herself for another heartbreak. _Why? _she asked herself._ Why is he doing this? WHY ARE WE SPLITTING UP? James and I are perfect for each other... why does this have to happen?_

James locked the door and faced Jessie. "Alright, Jessie, I- AHHHH!!" James cried out in pain as Jessie pushed him against the wall and shot him one of the most genuine begging looks he had ever seen from her. The ONLY genuine begging look he had ever seen her give him.

"Don't break up with me..." Jessie whispered quietly, blinking back tears.

If Jessie weren't nearly cracking his ribs as she held him a foot off the ground, James would have laughed. "What? You thought that I was going to break up with you? Why did you think-"

"DUH," Jessie gave him a "how the hell do you survive with a mind that small?" look. _"We need to talk_. **Universal** break-up line!"

"Uhm... ooohhh," James chuckled a bit, still off the ground. "Yeah. Sorry. I forgot about that..."

Jessie blinked in confusion, then let him go. "Sooooo... you're not breaking up with me...?" Jessie let out a sigh of relief.

James nodded. "Quite the opposite, my dear-" he shifted and a broom fell down at his feet. "Uhhhhhhhh... I'll pick that up." He kneeled down and tried to prop up the broom. It clocked him on the head. "Owwww..." he moaned, rubbing his sore noggin. "Alright," he said, still on his knees and failing to put the broom back up, "there's something I wanted to ask you. It has to do with that thing that I showed Meowth."

Jessie smiled. "So this is the 'big day'? What's so big about being in a closet with an attractive goof getting owned by a broom he knocked down?"

"You'll see -ow!- once I get this -ow!- stupid broom -ow!- up..." James sighed. "This is much -OW!- harder than I -ow!- thought..."

"I didn't know you could think without a brain," Jessie joked.

James laughed. "You've -ow!- never been one for -ow!- nice comments, Jessie," he smiled as the broom finally stood up. "You know that time I was away for a few days?"

Jessie nodded.

"I went home and broke off my 'enagement' to that leech," James smiled, obviously recalling something funny. "You should've seen her! She was in the emo corner for at _least_ three weeks straight. My mom and dad were there in the corner with her, sobbing."

Jessie laughed. "Nice. It's about time, but what does it have to do with me?"

"Well, you're about to find out." James dug into his pocket.

"James, really. Why bother getting an advance on something so small it could fit in your pocket?" Jessie asked. "I mean, you aren't getting paid for at least three..." Jessie gasped as she saw what James had hid from her for many weeks.

"Marry me, Jessica."

"Oh James..." Jessie smiled and took off her glove, putting the ring on her finger. "I will!" she shouted, pretty much tackling him and giving him a hug.

"AMBUSH!!!" James laughed, wrapping his arms around his future bride, who started to cry tears of pure joy. Who knew some absent-minded comment made by furball with additude could lead to this? Who knew that it would change her life?

"Well, we better tell them the news," James got up, recovering from his broom injuries. He tried to open the door and then remembered he locked it. He laughed nervously, and opened the door after unlocking it.

"SHE SAID YES!!!" Meowth lept onto James' shoulder and rubbed his James' cheek with his. "Congrats!"

Janet's eye twitched. She looked far from congratgulating James. "She_ what??" _she hissed. "Don't you care about your role in the-" she stopped herself when she remembered Jessie was still there. "Uhhhh..."

James winced. "That doesn't mean I can't love her, Janet," he hissed, narrowing his eyes. "What does a stupid locket mean anyway? I'm human, just like her..." he glanced at Jessie. _At least, for the time being, _he added silently.

"Locket...?"Jessie asked. She shrugged. Grabbing his hand, she silently prayed to Aqua Regina that her fiance was Mizurio.


	2. Chapter 2

Misty sighed, sitting on the dewy grass as she watched the sun rise. It looked as if the sky was bleeding firey hues that suddenly turned so hot it was blue. She looked up. The music she had heard so long ago just after they ran into James played over and over in her head, so much it was driving her insane. "What is that song? I know it..." she thought out loud, fingering her opal necklace.

"Misty? What are you doing?"

Misty jumped as she heard the door behind her open. They were staying at Brock's place for the time being; it just so happened that this was who had scared Misty out of her wits.

"Uhhhh... nothing!" Misty lied, turning around.

Brock smirked. "What's that for?" he asked, pointing to the music box near Misty's foot.

"Heh. Listen," Misty opened the box, and two lovely rainbow pearls spun around as the music played.

"What a lovely melody," Brock commented, kneeling down beside her. "Can you sing along?"

Misty nodded, smiling. "Don't tell anyone I have it. It's very special..." she trailed off as she noticed Brock staring at the pearls. "They're fake..."

"Are you gonna sing or not?" Brock asked, his tone friendly.

Misty nodded.

"**_When you reach for heaven,_**

**_"Trying to grasp the stars,_**

**_"As long as you beleive,_**

**_"I know you will go far._**

**_"When you reach to the night sky,_**

**_"Trying to grasp the moon,_**

**_"As long as you believe,_**

**_"You'll clasp that silver soon._**

**_"Pave that path that lies before you,_**

**_"With the stones of dreams._**

**_"Build up your foundation,_**

**_"And fly over the seas._**

**_"At dawn when stars aren't shining,_**

**_"Your wings seem to be gone._**

**_"But as long as you believe,_**

**_"You can fly beyond."_**

The music box ran out and the pearls stopped spinning. Misty closed the box and looked over at Brock, who was staring at her (...or at least it was something like staring, you know, being without eyes and all...) with awe written on his face.

"I like that song," he murmured. "I can't believe -I'm not disobeying you- I didn't notice that you had such a good voice."

"Thanks," Misty smiled. The sunrise was now over and Brock walked into the house. "I'm gonna go fishing," Misty called, and set off towards the lake.

:::

Misty sighed. The fish weren't really biting that much at all today; all she got was a stupid Magikarp that she really just PWNed. She smiled, recalling the memory of the S.S. Anne. Paddling on a raft, trying to escape that little twister of death (which was all James' fault...), Ash's terror-stricken face, Jessie's screams of terror...

_That's what you get for taking MY man,_ she thought, grinning in an evil way. (OK. She apparently didn't catch on when Jessie and James started slow-dancing in the balloon and Janet mimed barfing last time they encountered eachother.) Suddenly, a sharp tug on her fishing rod jerked her out of her thoughts. She screamed, attempting to reel the sucker in.

No such luck.

She screamed again, falling in. Suddenly, her stomach turned as she realized something: she still had her opal necklace on.

Her hair undid itself and grew longer until it reacked her shoulders and faded into seven different colors. Her legs went together and made a tail. Her necklace shone with beauty.

She was now a mermaid.

_Ooohhh crap, _she gulped. She swam to the surface.

"Hey Brock, where's Misty?" Ash was asking, shoving a slice of bread in his mouth.

"She went fishing. She'll be back soon."

Misty shrugged. She didn't turn into a mermaid for nothing. Aqua Regina must have had something planned for her...

She dove down until the water got a bit darker, then something froze her in her tracks. A song that she knew from long ago before the kingdom fell...

**_"Just before the dawn, came to me a melody,_**

**_"Casting out all evil that was inside of me._**

**_"And as the rainbow forms in the sky,_**

**_"I find out that love isn't just another lie._**

**_"Three little words echo in my head,_**

**_"But they refuse to be said._**

**_"Strange how I can't sleep at night._**

**_"It's so wrong, yet it feels so right._**

**_"Clouds will still move on, dissapear from the sky._**

**_"Waiting for the beautiful rainbow's twilight._**

**_"I hope that time will do me no harm._**

**_"I hope it leads me someday into your arms._**

**_"What I wouldn't give to hear 'I love you',_**

**_"While we're standing by the sea, ever-blue._**

**_"I'll want it to last forever._**

**_"I know that we will be together."_**

That was the song of all the mermaids! And it sounded like Kayana... and somehow, she thought she had heard that voice while she was human...

She shrugged it off, and went over to where the sound was coming from.

The singing stopped as the mermaid spotted Misty. "Nialan!" Kayanea cried, swimming forward and embracing her friend in a tight hug. "I thought I'd never see you again!"

"Same to you!" Misty, who was now Nialan, smiled.

Kayana narrowed her eyes. "Have... have I seen you before? In the human world?"

"Funny... I was about to ask you the same thing... you sound a lot like Jessie- what?" Nialan asked, seeing Kayana freeze in her fin-tracks (I don't know what else to call them...) and look like she was totally devistated. "What did I say?"

"...And you sound like Misty..."

Nialan's jaw dropped. "My leader is JESSIE?!"

Kayana scowled. "My best friend is really TWERPETTE?"

"Will yous twos shut up and ACCEPT IT?" Mynyasi swam down between the two.

"...Meowth?"

"Dat's Mynyasi as long as I'm in my guardian form, but yes," Mynyasi sighed.

Nialan sweatdropped. "Great. All I need is for James to be Mizurio," she joked.

"That might really be the case..."

"AUUGHHH."

"Why are you screaming?" Came a dark voice from above the trio. "I haven't even started yet."


	3. Chapter 3

Kayana gasped, looking to where the voice was coming from. "Ankoku!" she hissed, baring her teeth.

Grinning smugly, Ankoku closed his eyes. 'Surprise, surprise, Princess." He opened his blood-red eyes again. "Oh look, you brought a little friend! Great. Innav will be pleased!"

Nialan narrowed her green eyes. "I am Nialan, and Innav will NOT be happy! We'll defeat you!"

Ankoku snorted. "I think not, Nia- Ugggghhh, right up the nose..." he whimpered, feeling the water stinging his sinuses. "ANYWAY..." he continued, "I think not, Nialan! I have a new song that will make you crumble!

"**_We all know what happens at dusk,_**

**_"When the moon rises like a crecent blade,_**

**_"That splits the sky into bloody hues,_**

**_"That is the time the night is made._**

**_"But this time dark clouds will roll,_**

**_"Obscure the shining stars from your eyes._**

**_"Roll over the moon and smother the silver,_**

**_"And muffle all of your cries!_**

**_"The lightning flashes and thunder drums,_**

**_"The rain is acid that burns the light!_**

**_"Surrender now, don't you see,_**

**_"You will lose this fight?_**

**_"SURRENDER!_**

**_"SURRENDER!_**

**_"You will lose the fight!_**

**_"SURREDNER!_**

**_"SURRENDER!_**

**_"We'll destroy the light!_**

**_"SURRENDER!_**

**_"SURRENDER!_**

**_"We'll shatter what's right!_**

**_"SURRENDER!_**

**_"SURRENDER,_**

**_"To the beings of the night!"_**

Kayana and Nialan screamed, covering their ears. Kayana opened one eye. "We won't lose!" she shrieked, uncovering her ears. Screaming even louder, she covered them again. _He's too strong..._

"**Opal Pearl Voice!!"**

"Huh?" Nialan looked over to where the voice came from. "Kiarma!"

"She's alive!?" Kayana asked, looking over to see a mermaid who looked (horribly) a bit like Jessibelle, with her hairstyle and eyes. Other than that, she looked completely different.

"**_The rain's coming down,_**

**_"But I'm still alright._**

**_"I know that somehow,_**

**_"I'll see the light._**

**_"The sun will come again._**

**_"I feel it in my heart-"_**

"OH WILL YOU SHUT UP!!" Ankoku shouted, teleporting away.

Kiarma looked fairly pleased with herself.

...

"What is it, Boss?" Jessie asked, after being called to Giovanni's office.

James gulped. "Maybe he found out..."

"I have something to tell you three. I have to-"

"We quit!" Meowth shouted.

The three humans in the room froze in their place. "Meowth! What the HELL do you think you're doing?! Jessie hissed, raising her fist.

"You're gonna get split up!" Meowth answered.

"True, I was going to tear this team apart." Giovanni paused. "You can quit... it's not like you're my most valued agents, after all..."

James made a face that said "Touche..." and then he realized what was wrong with the picture. "Wait... no shooting? No blood? No..." he looked at Jessie, "...heartbreak?"

Jessie elbowed him. "Don't remind him!"

Giovanni ignored her. "No, none of that," he smiled, and added silently to himself, _yet._

Jessie, James and Meowth bolted out of the building as fast as they could. "Sooooo... this means we have to get jobs now, right?" Meowth asked.

"Meh. We didn't really get much pay, so it won't be much of a problem. We have the base-" Jessie stopped. "Ohhhh yeah. That's right..."

...

Meanwhile, Giovanni was inside his office, talking to another group of agents. "This is your lucky day! I have a special task for you."

"What is it?" asked a blond woman, liking the idea of a special task.

"You know those useless morons?"

"That cinnamon-swirl-hair freak and her partner?" a man on the right piped up.

"Yes, and the stupid cat," Giovanni smiled. _I've picked the perfect crew for this! _he thought. "I need you to..."

"To...?" the blond woman was obviously awaiting her task exitedly.

"Assasinate them."

...

O_O AHHHH!!! So, who did he pick for the killing mission? Guess! I bet you won't get it!

Alright, you might... but still.

Fine. You probably will, but you might not!

Okay.

It's obvious.

:(


	4. Chapter 4

Janet awoke to a startling scene. Where were Jessie and James? Where was the feline she had come to like so much? She felt a bit lonely. She was used to their company now, after a year.

She jumped when she heard a knock on the door. "Gio?" she asked, opening the door. She was one of Giovanni's favorites; she didn't need to address him as "Boss".

"Yup, it's me, Janet. I have some news for you," Giovanni informed her, stepping in the small shack. "Those morons I paired you up with- Jessie and James A.K.A. Kayana and Ankoku have quit." (Author's note: GASP!! He knows their identities! But... how?)

"Meowth -otherwise known as Mynyasi- too?" Janet asked, saddened. (ZOMG!!! SHE KNOWS TOO. 8O)

Giovanni nodded, looking around. "Why, my girl, you deserved so much better anyway. How did you cope with a small house like this?" he asked, observing the small shack with only a few rooms.

"They had cookies," Janet explained, motioning over to the fridge. (I told you, they have a lack of pantry.) "Sugary sweets."

"And yet you still keep that curved frame..." Giovanni chucked under his breath. "...even when you're only eleven years old. Funny..." Giovanni paused as he felt fur against his leg. "...And who is this?"

Picking up the female Meowth in her arms, she replied: "That's Luminia. Jessie found her when James was getting in touch with his... true self."

"Ah," Giovanni said, not being able to think of anything else to say in reply. "So, Janet, you may be wondering why I am here in your base and you not in my office?"

"It's a bit odd, yes," Janet admitted, brushing her scarlet hair out of her eyes.

"I have hired some... people," Giovanni smiled evilly. "Special, seasoned people. You know them very well, I'm sure."

"Who? Simon and Alaina?" Janet asked. "The scrawny runt who used to be James' partner (read Pokemon Journals: Just an Innocent Victim! to fully understand) and the flattie?"

Giovanni chucked. "'Flattie'. That's a good one."

"Thanks."

"No, not them," Giovanni answered her question. "Someone else that you know... and Jessie and James know them VERY well too. All TOO well, in fact..." Giovanni drifted off into his own dark, bloody fantasy world full of death, hatred and a freakishly strong Pikachu.

"...Sir? Giovanni? GIO," Janet shouted.

Giovanni was immediately jolted out of his thoughts by the child before him. "Sorry... got a bit daydreamy... or dayMAREy I shoud say..."

"That was a lame joke."

"No joke."

Giovanni said those two words in a way that made a shiver shoot up Janet's spine like an cold lightning bolt. "...What do you mean by that?" Janet asked in a hushed whisper although there was no-one around for miles. "What do you mean by 'no joke'?"

Giovanni looked at Janet carefully, his beady black gaze cutting through her like an onyx knife. "Are you afraid of me?" he asked, squinting.

Janet opened her mouth to protest when she realized she was shaking and holding Luminia to her chest tightly. _This has to be the first time ever since I was five..._ she thought, going back to when she first met Giovanni. _...The first time I've been scared of him in five- no, SIX years. And I'm not just scared, I'm terrified! Is he really thinking of... _she didn't want the next word to enter her mind, but it was too late.

_...Assasination?_

Giovanni raised his voice a bit. "Are you?"

Janet nodded slowly, looking down. "Are you going to kill them?" she whispered, a tear hanging on her long eyelashes.

"Yes."

"But... but... you can't!" Janet shouted, losing control. "He is the Dark King! The true king! You can't kill him!" she took a step backwards, and felt her back hit the wall. "He will bring us all to total power!"

Giovanni's eyes were now nothing but angry black slits. His thoughts were written all over his face. His face read: _Dare you challenge me? Dare you defy me? Do you, Janet Kagimi Simal, dare to disagree and risk all you have?_

Janet realized that she had made a terrible mistake. _Well... there's no going back now,_ she thought grimly. "YES!! I dare to defy! James- Ankoku- whatever you call him- will not die! You can slaugter me, you can take my life, but Ankoku will live!"

Giovanni's hand grasped something metal in his belt. "Then I'll do just that," he whispered, and slit the child's throat before she had a chance to scream.

...

Sheshe tapped her foot on the grassy ground. "When is Jaja showing up? She said she'd be here an hour ago!" she murmered. The irritation in her voice could not be missed. "Let's go see her at the 'Base' or whatever she calls it."

Mimi nodded. "Truly, she is running late."

Sheshe rolled her eyes. "Truly, you will die..."

...

"SHESHE!!" Mimi wailed, brusting in the door. "Look!" she pointed to Janet's limp, bloody figure on the hard floor of the cabin.

Sheshe raced over, then gasped. "Jaja..." she whispered, touching the locket that Janet wore. It was a silver tiger with ruby eyes and black stripes.

A small grey figure that resembled a cat came over. She had black eyes and ruffled grey fur. "I saw the whole thing. She died a noble death at the hands of a traitor." She closed her eyes. "Her father would have been proud." (OK. Lady Bat, despite the name, is actually a guy. He's her dad.)

Mimi's head snapped up, her red eyes watering. "A traitor...?"

"Innav killed her."

"INNAV?!" Sheshe asked in disbelief. "No! Not him!" she shrieked. "Innav couldn't have..." but she knew better. She knew that the smokey cat-like thing was telling the truth. "Moonshadow?" she asked, looking at the grey thing.

"Yes?"

"I think we should give her a proper... burial," she proprosed, a tear running down her cheek.

"I approve."

"But where?" Mimi asked.

"First we should bury her with her locket. There will never be another Jaja," Sheshe whispered sadly. "We should bury her by the waterfall... she always loved those things," she looked up, obviously recalling past memories.

Mimi nodded, and picked up the body. "Innav..." she whispered.

Moonshadow nodded. "She died for Ankoku, Mimi. She died for the one she loved."


	5. Chapter 5

OK. I just have one thing to say:

When you read this story, at least send me ONE review, telling me how the story sucks/rocks and maybe how you will think it will end? Or whatever you want. Just send me one, cuz right now, only Rocket Wolf is reviewing and that makes me think she's the only one reading... and that makes me sad. (No offence, Wolfy. :D)

...

Jessie sighed. "So, what are we going to do for a living?" she asked, holding James' hand. They were in the middle of the forest, near a chokecherry bush.

James shrugged. "I don't know..." he looked down. "Guess this means that the wedding may not take place for a while, huh?"

Jessie couldn't help but laugh at the look in her finace's eyes. "Yes, but as long as we have it before we're sixty I'll be fine," she assured him.

"I wonder how Jan is doin'," Meowth stated, looking around. "I really liked her."

"I didn't," James hissed, his eyes suddenly looking like pools of lethal poison.

Jessie blinked a bit. "What's wrong with her? She wasn't exactly normal, punching people through walls at eleven and definitely prepubescent -except for her chest- but still..."

"...We didn't really need to know about the state of... 'growing up' she was in," James' eyes emptied of poison and filled with a glowing green humor. "Really, we didn't." He laughed a bit.

"Hey, do you guys hear dat?" Meowth asked, looking up. "I tink I just heard someone sobbing... WAH!!" His eyes widened. "Jess! It's Sheshe and Mimi! And... dey're carryin' Jan!" Meowth said the last sentence with a look of total bewilderment on his face.

Sheshe flew down and grabbed James. "We need to see you," she whispered, leaving no explination.

"Why do you have Jane-" James' face turned white. "What happened?" he asked.

"Innav... it was Innav... the traitor killed her..." Mimi explained between sobs.

"Innav?!" James exclaimed, remembering his flashback. "You mean our master? Kind of like Gaito except WAY cooler?" he asked. "What does he have to do with Janet? Ohhhh..." he observed the dead girl and then remembered how much she looked like someone else in his life. "...She's Jaja," he whispered, his lips barely moving. "Sweet black forest cherry cake, I had no idea!"

Sheshe nodded, sighing. "Ankoku, she died for you. We feel we must warn you. Innav is a traitor. He sent some people to kill you and Kayana, along with Mynyasi. Ankoku, I know that Kayana is your enemy, but only in the sea. You love her here," she shed another tear for her fallen sister. "You must protect them."

"But if she's my ultimate enemy in the sea, why must I protect her?" James asked. "I mean, I'm happy she must live, but why?"

"Ankoku... do you remember the legends?" Mimi asked.

James nodded, then something clicked in his mind. He slowly recited a part of the first legend Aqua Regina had read to him before she found out his intentions and ambitions. He repeated the words:

"_**The Rainbow Pearl Mermaid Princess is the thing that keeps the sea, earth and sky in balance. She can only die by natural means if there is to be another Princess. If she is killed by man, with evil or good intentions, the sea will die with her as will all creatures within it. The ocean will turn into a cold sheet of ebony glass, and the sky above will wither like a dying rose and turn to ashes. The moon will fade until it is no longer silver, but grey and overshadowed by tendrils of despair and regret. A darkness will grip our hearts in it's icy grasp before we sink, screaming, into a black void where the earth used to be**_.**_"_**

James immedietly understood. "Are we burying her?" he asked, looking at Janet. Why was he so sad?

Sheshe nodded. "By the waterfall. She always loved to splash around in them when she was a child..."

"She was still only a child when Innav betrayed us."

Mimi suddenly could contain herself. "WAHHHHHH!!!" she wailed.

Sheshe gave her a look that said "control yourself" and looked at James. "Are you coming? To the burial?"

James nodded, suddenly realizing he was floating, just like the two Black Beauty Sisters in front of him. "I am coming," he confirmed. "I... I might have to explain something to Jessie though..."

"We stopped time."

"...YOU CAN DO THAT??"

Sheshe nodded. "Come on," she grabbed James' collar and pulled him over to where they were going to bury Jaja.

...

The burial would have lasted half an hour has Sheshe not stopped time in it's invisible tracks. "I won't forget, Jaja," James promised. "Never."

"Well, we should go," Mimi looked up to the sky. "It's wearing off."

James nodded, and started going with the other two. Just before he left, he left a rose on the mound of dirt where Janet lay buried underneath.

...

"Hey, where did dey go?" Meowth asked, looking at James.

James merely shrugged. "So anyway, what are we supposed to do to make money?" he asked. Then his eyes lit up. "I know! We could be poets!"

Jessie snorted. "Well, YOU could. You were the one who came up with all those motto variations."

James smiled. "Oh, it's just that the great powers of add-libbing never fail," he chuckled a bit. Apparently the time-stop lifted just before James got back. "I'm sure you could do it too. Even free-verse would get you some decent money, if you wrote well enough.

"Dat's da ting, Jim: we can't write for crap," Meowth looked at James in a bored way.

"You can if you just let the pencil do the talking," James crossed his arms, but he was not looking unfriendly.

"...Pencils don't talk," Jessie said bluntly.

"...I was speaking metaphorically."

"Little mind, big words," Meowth snickered.

"HEY!! YOU MANGY LITTLE-"

The rest of James' sentence was drowned out by gunshots and screams.

...

O_O Woah, that part with the legend and everything was actually GOOD! I wasn't explecting that. That's not normal. I usually just write crappily for most of the book anyways. XD


	6. Chapter 6

Jessie screamed and grabbed onto James. The bark on a tree just above James' head splintered as a bullet shot through it. Meowth ran behind Jessie and James (who were both clinging to each other quite vigorously) and attempted to catch his breath.

"What... who... why are they shooting at us?" Jessie wailed, barely heard over the sounds of the machine gun.

"I don't know," James held her tighter (if that was even possible) and tried to detect where the shots were coming from. If he knew where the shooters were, maybe he could get in front of Jessie and protect her from this murderous happening. It looked like whoever was shooting wasn't about to give up. It was like it was their mission...

Something clicked in James' mind. _It's Giovanni,_ he thought, hearing Sheshe's words echo in his mind: "_It was Innav. He sent assassins after you. You must protect her."_

_Giovanni is Innav! _James realized with alarm. _I don't believe this! Everyone I know has something to do with the sea. Jessie, Meowth, Giovanni... Janet._ He felt pain shoot through his head as it did when his locket touched Jessie's. "It's happening again," he thought out loud, though Jessie could not hear him. This time, he shouted louder. "It was Giovanni!" he told Jessie. "We quit and he sent assassins after us!"

Jessie nodded, realizing what he had said. "It makes sense," she said, somehow forgetting that people were shooting at her. "I wouldn't put it past him..."

She suddenly remembered that someone was trying to stick a bullet in their hearts when she heard James half yelp, half scream. "James!" she gasped. "Are you alright?"

James half nodded, holding his shoulder. "I'll be fine, Jess."

"You sure? We're out in the wild. An injury like that could lead to death in this enviornment," she said, remembering her days at nurse school.

"I said I'm fine."

"I say you're not."

The shooting stopped and James held his shoulder. "...Dat... dat was scary," Meowth spoke for the first time in a while.

Jessie nodded. "THIS is scary," she looked at James with only concern in her deep blue eyes. "I hope you're alright..."

"YES, I'm fine!"

...

On the other side of the bush, the blond woman put down her firearm. "Well, we got our mission one-third accomplished, eh?"

"He isn't dead yet," a bitchy man sat down on the grass beside the woman.

"I _know_ that," the woman snarled, pointing the gun at the man.

The man looked up, anamused. "I'm not scared of you. Go ahead, kill me. The boss is gonna kill you in return if you dare pull that trigger right now."

The woman sighed. The man was right. "Okay, Lorshi..."

The man's mouth twitched; he was obviously concealing his contempt. "My name is not Lorshi. Yeesh, you as bad as that tree guy..."

"Oh... Lanaru," the woman giggled. "Sorry."

The man sighed, feeling slightly defeated for some reason that the woman did not know.

The woman looked at her targets. She swore under her breath. "If he had turned this much closer..." she put her fingers close together, "...I would have got him straight in the heart."

The man looked up over the bush. He had been sitting down with his arms crossed the whole time and his butt was getting sore. "Geez, you still hurt him badly."

"Not enough. I have to kill all three of them NOW," the woman loaded her gun again.

"Wait," the man smiled, thinking of something. "They have no job. A cat can't get a job, and the woman will have to stay and care for him."

"So? They can't work if they're dead," the woman retorted.

"Just listen," the man insisted. "It's them against the elements. What are the chances of him surviving?"

"What are the chances of him surviving if he gets a bullet in his head?" the woman snapped.

"But it'll be over too soon. You like to see them suffer, right?" the man lifted his eyebrows a tad.

The woman paused to think. "Yes... Lanaru, where are you going with this?"

The man smiled. "He'll surely die without access to any medical care whatsoever. No-one knows they quit yet. He'll go along, growing weaker and weaker, and she (he pointed to Jessie) will suffer from the inside the most. He will suffer from pain. She will be so torn up about his death that she will go peacefully. We'll show up and say we want to reunite her with her loved one."

"And the cat?"

"I'm sure he'll go as well."

The woman allowed a smile to crease her face. "You are one brilliant, brilliant man," she ran her gloved fingers through her blond hair. "Make the ones we hate suffer so much! HA! Giovanni will even approve of the method!" she laughed in a creepy quiet manner. "Making the stupid suffer."

...

"Are you sure you're alright?" Jessie asked for the upteenth time as the trio walked through the woods.

"Yes, Mom," James rolled his eyes and smiled. "I'm not dead yet sooooo... I'm fine."

"Emphasis on 'yet'," Meowth looked at James' shoulder and shuddered. "Dat must HURT..."

"Who's side are you on?" James asked.

Meowth shrugged. "Just sayin' what I tink."

"Ah," James looked up. "Hey... do you guys hear voices?" he asked, looking around as though he didn't have a bullet in his shoulder and didn't feel any pain at all and was totally fine.

"Yeah, I do!" Jessie listened, then slapped her forehead. "Ohhhh, nnnoooooooooooooooooooooooooo..." she moaned. "It's... it's... it's HIM," she pointed as if the boy coming over the hill was Satan himself.

It was none other than Ash Ketchum coming over the hill.


	7. Chapter 7

"Hoih?" Meowth looked in the direction Jessie was pointing. "WARG!!" he stumbled back. "No! Not da twoip! We've had enough rotten luck! We had to leave Lumie and Janet behind..."

At the mention of Janet, James froze and a shiver shot up his spine like a cold lightning bolt. "Janet... the poor little girl... she was so innocent too..."

Meowth hopped onto James' shoulder. James winced a bit; Meowth had jumped onto his injured shoulder. "Sorry Jim," Meowth apologized as he realized what he'd done. "What do you mean 'she was so innocent'?"

James looked away. "I... last night I went back to the base to get something and... I..." he gulped. He was only good at making things up as he went along if it was something like some variation of the Team Rocket motto. He wasn't really good at lying. "I saw Janet's body on the floor."

Meowth looked both shocked and devistated. "You don't mean..."

"I do, Meowth. She's dead."

By this time, Ash, Misty and Brock were close enough to hear the conversation. "Who's dead?" Brock asked, leaning closer. "Jessibelle?"

James snorted and crossed his arms. "I should be so lucky," she said darkly, glaring daggers at an invisisble being. (I'm being metaphorical, Wolfy. XD) Jessie's head snapped towards James; she was surprised that James would ever want anyone dead, even a bitch like Jessibelle. "You remember that girl we had with us? The one with the bloody-red hair?" James motioned towards his head, trying to send the message to Ash in particular.

"I don't think I made anyone have a bloody head by strangling them with my hair..." Ash looked up, thinking. (I didn't know it was possible for Ash to think...)

Misty sweatdropped. "What do I see in you...?" she shook her head sadly. "I think I remember her... Janet, wasn't it?"

"Yes. She's dead," James looked down.

"Tut tut tut,' Brock frowned. "So sad. She was kind of cute too..."

"Brock you freaking pervert!!" Misty hit him with a tree branch. "She was ELEVEN. _ELEVEN!!_"

"What? She was hot..." Brock whimpered.

Misty gave a defeated sigh. "I give up. I... have failed."

Jessie sweatdropped. "Isn't that what Mewtwo said when Giovanni shot him down in the lake...?"

Misty looked up for a bit, thinking. "Yeah, I think so... wait, woah woah woah! Did you just call your Boss by his real name?!" she squealed. "OHHH, how daring!"

James' face took on a look that kind of resembled O.o;. "That sqeal was a liiitlle too Jessibelle-ey for me," he shuddered, then his face took on a puzzled look. "Jessibelle-ey? Jessibelle-esk? Jessibelle-ish?"

Misty turned to Jessie. "Kayana... what happened? I know that you wouldn't just go on and call him Giovanni. Did you get fired?"

"We quit," Jessie explained.

"KAYANA?!" Ash shouted, sending a Spearow flying away in fright. "Isn't she the legendary Rainbow Mermaid Princess you told me about in all those bedtime stories?"

Jessie glared daggers at Misty. "I swear to Aqua Regina, Nialan, if I turn into bubbles because of this you are going to be VEERRRYYY sorry. UNDERSTAND?!"

Misty gulped.

"Nialan?" Brock asked. "Isn't she Kayana's friend?"

Ash stared in Misty's general direction. "Oh my... it's... it's... IT'S..."

Misty and Jessie both braced themselves for bubble-ism. (What? I don't know what else to call it... Oh, and the reason Jessie and Misty might turn into bubbles is because whenever a human finds out that someone is a mermaid they turn into bubbles. James isn't really human so Jessie doesn't turn into bubbles.)

James chuckled. "He's not looking at you two."

(The following is best not read by Ash fans. If you are an Ash hater like me, Wolfy, and JamesLuver, then by all means read on.)

"LYKE OH EM FRIKKIN' GEE! IT'S A FIRE HIDE-RANT I HAVE BLOWN UP YET NOT! THIS IZ MAH NEW REESON FORE LIFE!! SKREW THOSE CRAPPY PLAZTICK BADJES THAT DA JIM LEEDERS GIVE ME OUT OF PITY AND ANNOYANCE!! GIMME MAH LIGHTERS SO I CAN X-PLOAD THE FIRE HYDRANTS!!! MUAHAHA!!!" Ash cackled menacingly. (But nobody took him seriously, after all...)

"AHHHHHH!!!" Misty shouted, grabbing onto Jessie and James. "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!!"

(BOOM)

**_Somewhere in Sinnoh..._**

"Huh," Dawn looked at the rising mushroom cloud coming from the general direction of Kanto. "I wonder what happened there..."

**_Back in Kanto..._**

"Well, that's going to help heal up this bullet in my shoulder," James grumbled sarcastically.

Jessie examined the wound. "We better take care of that soon, James. It might be infected."

James' face turned white as a sheet. "In- Infected?" he gulped. "In the wild, I might probably die with an infected wound..."

Jessie nodded, looking even closer. "I wish we had the First Aid Kit with us... James, when you went back to get Janet, why didn't you get it?"

"Uhhh..." James looked away. Jessie would only question him further if he didn't come up with something fast. "I guess that when I saw the body on the floor I was too traumatized to remember it...?"

"Understandible," Jessie nodded. "Maybe we can go back tonight and get it..."

Both Jessie, James and Meowth and the twerps jumped as they heard a rustle in the bushes. After what seemed an eternity, Meowth stepped foreward bravely. "Alright! Who's dere?" he asked.

Silence.

Suddenly, the bushes rustled more violently than before. A yellow figure shot out like a gold flash of lightning (I don't know why I like to compare so many things to lightning...). Meowth yelped as the figure pinned him down, and started raking it's claws down his side.


End file.
